Wintry temps on way to area

Staff at Old Fort Concho is prepared

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Santa Claus won't need to rely on blushing to get his signature rosy cheeks. The wind chill, expected to be in single digits, should do the job this weekend at Christmas at Old Fort Concho.

The 32nd annual event at the historical site will take place amid a sudden cold snap. The fort's personnel are preparing for frigid weather, which happens more frequently than not during the event, which runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"We will move all the outside entertainment inside," said Bob Bluthardt, Fort Concho site manager. "There is no point in having people perform in weather where the wind chill could possibly be zero. Their lips will freeze on the trombones."

An arctic air mass originating in Canada is expected to move into the Concho Valley early to mid-Thursday, said Chris Daniels, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in San Angelo.

Rain is expected during the day Thursday, transitioning into freezing rain and sleet in the night, Daniels said. The temperature is forecast to drop into the 30s.

Friday is expected to remain just at or below freezing. The morning temperature is expected to be at about 27 degrees, while the daytime high should reach 35 with little to no precipitation, Daniels said.

On Saturday, freezing drizzle likely will be added to the mix early on as temperatures are expected to emulate Friday's, Daniels said.

Temperatures aren't expected to rise above the 30s until Sunday, when the high could be in the 40s.

The weather isn't expected to warm up too much next week as another strong cold front should push through the area by Wednesday, Daniels said.

"Generally for this time of year, normal highs are in the low 60s, and lows are about 34 to 35," Daniels said. "We're definitely going to be well below that for the highs and lows this weekend."

Before the wintry weather hits, San Angelo has experienced an unseasonably warm December. Tuesday's high was in the lower 80s, and Wednesday's should reach about 70.

The fort has experienced its share of bad weather, but it also has reaped the rewards of clear skies and warm temperatures. Last year there was no rain, and the average high temperature was 70 degrees. It was also one of the most successful years for the event, Bluthardt said.

"Some might have said it was maybe even a little too warm," Bluthardt said.

The weather, "combined with a good marketing effort, we pulled between 15 to 17,000 people over the weekend. That includes the participants — volunteers, re-enactors and merchants. That's probably as good as it gets if we have a perfect weekend."

On Tuesday, Bluthardt and his staff were equipping the historical buildings with portable heaters. He assured the buildings will remain warm for participants to seek refuge, and two-thirds of the activities will be indoors.

"The key thing is safety. We're not suggesting by any means that people travel if the roads are not safe," Bluthardt said.

Steve Mild, emergency management coordinator for San Angelo and Tom Green County, reiterated safety as he elaborated on dealing with this weekend's cold snap.

"We will be dealing with extreme cold this weekend," Mild said. "With Christmas at Old Fort Concho, if people are going out there, they need to bundle up and layer their clothes. With wind chills possibly down into single digits, people must be prepared for that."

He cautioned people using space heaters in their homes not to put them near anything combustible or close to furniture or other flammable items such as Christmas decorations.

For people using gas heaters, proper ventilation must be in place to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, he said.

"One of the things the public needs to remember is when we have these kinds of conditions, if at all possible stay off the loop (Houston Harte Expressway and Loop 306). Take an alternate route," he said, because of the possibility of ice on the road.

"We want people to be safe and not be putting themselves in harm's way. They should stay tuned to the local media outlets and Nixle for messages that come out about the weather. We put that information out there for their protection."